The Other Path
by BloodBoredom
Summary: Just after the tragic events that transpired in 1999, Minato Arisato finds himself under the care of not an orphanage or relatives, but by an organization(Hellsing, X-men, Avengers, etc). (Series of one-shots, unless there are sufficient requests for a full series) (accepting requests.) *2 is edited and 3 is out now*
1. Hellsing I

-The Other Path-

_The idea for this fic was brewing in my head over Xmas break, where I was able to watch all the shows I've had on my list._

_-Everything here is a one-shot or two chapters per storyline at most, unless I receive positive reviews asking me for more.  
_

_-Each chapter will be dedicated to Minato being raised by X person or organization, anime or wherever else they came from.  
_

_-The characters that had a hand in raising him won't be directly intervening, flashbacks and maybe cameos because what's important is how they've molded the MC to the person that he is.  
_

_-Chapter title will indicate what entity took him in after the 1999 car crash.  
_

-Hellsing-

_After the tragic death of his parents, Minato Arisato was taken in by the Kirijo Group for temporary care._

"..." the little boy looked up, seeing a girl around his age, perhaps older and waved at her.

"Hi," the girl said sweetly, "my name is Mitsuru Kirijo, my daddy is the big boss of this company, but don't be fooled by the eyepatch, he's a really nice guy at heart."

"That's enough Mitsuru," a man with an eyepatch groaned, "Mister Arisato here has suffered a terrible loss."

"Really," the redhead said with a shocked expression on her face, "does he need our help to find it, the thing that he lost?"

_Patting his daughter's head, Takeharu Kirijo motioned for her to wait for him outside the office._

"I'm sorry about that," the man apologized, "she means well."

"I know," the boy replied.

"About what happened that night..." the President trailed off.

"I dunno," the bluenette looked sullen, "I remember the car crashing then blacking out soon after."

"I see," the adult pondered.

_Suddenly, one of Kirijo's bodyguards burst thru the wooden doors._

"Sir," the man announced, "there are some people here for the boy."

"People?" Takeharu needed more than the vaguest of descriptions.

"My apologies," the body guard bowed, "they're from England, they call themselves-"

"The Hellsing Organization," a dark skinned blonde interrupted with a slight smirk on her face, "we've come as soon as we heard the news."

"How are you related to young Arisato-kun here?" the man gazed with his remaining eye.

"His parents worked with our organization," the woman answered, "it was stated in their will that should anything untoward happen to them, that he be placed in our care."

"Is that so?" Takeharu eyed the woman and her butler suspiciously.

"I see," the woman groaned before snapping her fingers, "Walter."

"Yes Sir Integra," the butler bowed in respect to the order.

"I understand your concerns," the blonde smiled, "but I assure you, all the paperwork is already in order."

"Here you go sir," the raven-haired butler handed the paperwork to the company president, "I do so hope that we can finish this business soon, Sir Integra has much to do back in the motherland."

"I've been looking into your organization," the president offered the woman one of his cigars, "I believe you've done the same with mine."

"Minato, please wait with Walter outside," the woman directed the boy to the butler.

_The confused boy held on to the raven-haired butler, following the Englishman out of the conference room._

"Now...Takeharu-san?" the blonde struggled with her Japanese.

"It's alright Sir Integra, the time for formalities is done," the man faked a cough, "I'm aware you have a vampire under your command."

"!" the woman broke her usually stoic demeanor, "How did you-"

"Sir Integra," Takeharu puffed from his cigar, "while the Kirijo Group is not as experienced or old as your Organization, it does not seem wise for you underestimate possible opposition."

"Opposition?" the head of Hellsing scowled, "And for what reason would you be threatened by my vampire?"

"We've been keeping tabs since my father's run as president," the man replied.

"I see," the woman understood then and there what the intimidating corporate executive meant.

_Takeharu's father had become obsessed with bringing about The Fall, the end of all life._

"This incident happened because my father took a group of like minded scientists to achieve his sick goal," the Kirijo Group head took a seat and took out the research notes his father had kept.

"Time travel?" Integra scoffed, "You must be joking."

"Nothing here is a joke," the man replied with graveness in his voice, "our men have yet to determine the long effects of the experiment, but we're working on it."

"Very well," the woman pocketed the research, "I'll be on my way then."

_The meeting concluded, Integra and Walter were preparing to leave Japan, Minato said his goodbyes to the little redhaired girl who tried to cheer him up. It was the bluenette's first time on an airplane, his parents would go on trips and leave him with his grandfather, although the circumstances could have been better.  
_

"Are you certain that you had nothing left in Japan?" the kindly gentleman asked politely.

"Nothing," the bluenette answered in his usual briefness.

"I'll run this by you now so that Walter and I can answer any questions you may have," Integra said with a scowl, not out of disrespect, but as the natural setting of her face, "you will be staying with us at the Hellsing manor."

"All your meals, clothing, education and personal finances will be taken care of," the butler continued with a smile, "by the generosity of the Queen and the Royal Treasury."

"The Queen?" the boy asked in awe, "Of England?"

"Yes," the blonde woman suppressed a chuckle, "of course we have some ground rules."

"There aren't any other children in the grounds," Walter began, "we've taken you in because your parents have done a lot of work for us, any trouble you might've been in otherwise would be our responsibility."

"You are to stay in your room," the blonde fixed her glasses, "of course at day you are free to explore the grounds."

"Except, of course," the raven haired man interrupted, "the basement."

"Okay," the bluenette agreed, "mom and dad didn't like me wandering off. What's wrong with the basement?"

"A lot of old things are being kept there," the butler said, pouring himself a fresh cup of tea, "we wouldn't want you breaking anything now would we?"

"I guess not," Minato understood.

_After a short flight which felt like an eternity to the young lad, they were picked up by a fancy black car that proceeded to take them to the biggest house that the boy had ever seen. Walter then escorted the boy to a room that was furnished for a child his age, a comfortable bed, a television and clothes to his size, surprising since he had arrived just hours earlier._

"Mister Arisato," the butler addressed the boy politely, "if there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask the maids for assistance."

"Walter-san..." the boy spoke with what little English he knew, "will I see my parents again."

"..." the butler froze before he could leave the room, "I'm sorry, but I don't know, I wouldn't know, and if I could I would tell you, but I do not have the answer."

"Thank you," the bluenette said gratefully before taking his first rest in a foreign land.

_-Meanwhile-_

_...Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, Head of Hellsing's Office...  
_

_There was a single person in the room, a bespectacled woman who took a fancy to smoking a cigar to keep her mind off of things. Eventually, she was joined by her butler who seemed rather distraught.  
_

"Sir Integra..." the butler addressed his master.

"I know what you're thinking," the woman cut him off, "but you also know the answer to your own question don't you?"

"Knowing doesn't make it any easier," Walter countered, "it never does."

_Suddenly, an unearthly presence entered the room. From the shadows, a figure in red walked out into the moonlight room.  
_

"Those two knew what their choice would lead to," the man in red pointed at a photo of Minato's deceased parents, "they chose this path for him."

"Less he fall prey to their adversaries," the blonde woman held her hands just under her nose, "the world of information is fraught with such things after all."

"Well said sir," the butler smiled if only to lift the ache that scowling left him, "though I feel that this boy will see far more than he should very soon."

"Millenium?" the man in red raised an eyebrow, "they have been making more noise lately, haven't they?"

"We'll be meeting with Iscariot in a week's time," Integra stated, "tomorrow, our new security team should arrive."

"I'm looking forward to that," the man in red's voice echoed, "and meeting our new ward."

"Alucard," the woman set her cold gaze at the man, "do try your best not to traumatize the boy."

"As you wish my master," Alucard bowed before sinking back into the shadows.

_-The next day-_

_The bluenette took the stern woman's words to heart and stayed in his room until the sun rose, he did have his first bout of jet lag after all. Minato then shifted his gaze to an antique clock and realized that he hadn't had anything for breakfast.  
_

"So hungry..." the boy thought aloud, "I wonder if mom can..."

_A sharp pain shot through his mind, "That's right...They're dead." the boy reminded himself. In silence, the now stoic child walked to the nearest maid, asking her where he could get some breakfast. The girl escorted him to a large dining room, but suddenly left in a hurry.  
_

"Why'd she leave so fast?" Minato wondered, "There's a girl here."

_Staring at the dining table, the Japanese boy saw a lavish spread, bread, smoked ham, sausages, omelets, fruits, vegetables, soup and just about any food one can imagine. At the edge of the table sat a blonde woman, fairly young, who seemed to be having difficulty on what to eat as she had barely touched the food on her plate.  
_

"Ex-cuse me," the boy said in his accented English, "can I join you?"

"Hm?" the blonde shifted her gaze from her plate to the young lad, "Oh, er, of course."

_Quietly, the boy took a few loaves of bread, buttered them and ate them in peace. Afterwards, he took a small serving of omelets and ate them with a few slices of ham. Looking up, the boy noticed that the girl was staring at him, as if in envy of something._

"Sorry," the boy apologized as he set his fork down, "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"No, not at all," the girl said sheepishly, "I'm just very busy, thinking about work and all."

"Oh," the bluenette replied plainly, his face expressing little to no emotion, "I'm Minato Arisato by the way."

"I'm Seras, Seras Victoria," the blonde introduced herself before heading to the basement.

"She didn't even touch her food," the boy said, looking at a nearly full plate of omelets and bread.

_-Later that day-  
_

_The boy was not exactly adventurous, instead, he had taken up the exploration of the estate as a means of taking his mind off of...recent events. So far, Minato had been everywhere except the library, the basement, and Sir Integra's office. Since two out of three were off-limits, the boy decided to search the library, a good book could help him kill time.  
_

_*Creak*  
_

_The wooden doors that lead to the library were clearly aged, making sounds as they were pulled from their state of rest. The room itself was fairly large, around nine times more spacious than the bluenette's room. Looking around the room, it was obvious to the youth that the library was still well maintained by the staff of the manor.  
_

"Where do I look for a nice book to read?" Minato thought to himself, "I don't even think I can reach the third row of the shelf."

"I recommend that you read the works of Tolkien," a deep voice boomed from the corner of the room, "good literature is so hard to find nowadays, soon, the children of the future will be fawning over pathetic vampire wannabes."

_The boy was paralyzed at the sight of the man, it was so familiar, like the presence of the 'thing' on the night of the crash,so dark, so filled with evil._

"..." the boy covered his mouth, about to scream.

"What's wrong," the man in red raised an eyebrow at the child's reaction, "cat got your tongue?"

"What are you?" Minato asked, his instincts telling him to run as fast as he could.

"I see," the man scowled, not angry at the boy, but himself "Sir Integra calls me...Alucard."

"Alucard..." the boy filed the name in his 'Names to Run Away From' list.

_Strangely, the man in red took a single book and laid it on the table before leaving the boy on his own.  
_

"?" the bluenette kept his sights on the man until Alucard disappeared into the shadows.

_Looking at the strange book that was left on the table, the young lad reached for it and opened the piece of literature as it was quite old, not even a title in its_ cover.

"The Lord of the Rings," the bluenette read, _"maybe that man isn't as bad as I thought."_

_-Elsewhere, moments later-  
_

_Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing wasn't really much for sports, she learned fencing and shooting, but for self defense purposes due to the nature of her occupation. As such, the woman would stay in her office during the day to look over the bureaucratic headaches that managing her family's 'dark secret' often resulted in.  
_

"Good afternoon," a deep voice said, coming out of nowhere, "my Master."

"What are you doing awake in the middle of the day?" Integra complained, "If it isn't obvious enough to you, I'm dealing with the damages that we suffered at the hands of those Valentine Brothers."

"How goes the search for our new security then?" the man in red asked.

"Since when is a vampire concerned with security?" the blonde raised an eyebrow.

"When the security in question is designated to keep his coffin intact," Alucard said matter-of-factly.

"I suppose that is acceptable," Integra sighed.

"Oh," the vampire snapped his fingers, "I've met our young guest."

"What did you do?" the woman said with a tone that made it clear that she was not pleased.

"I've given him a reading assignment," Alucard sighed, "Tolkien seemed appropriate."

"You know what I'm referring to," Integra fumed.

"Oh that," the vampire feigned ignorance, "I did nothing of the sort, my Master, the lad figured it out on his own."

"Really?" the woman said mockingly, "You expect me to believe that?"

"Since you returned from Japan," Alucard spoke, his glasses coming off to look his Master in the eyes, "I've been feeling _something_, and meeting him has only confirmed my suspicions."

"Is he a threat?" Integra asked, the conversation turning serious, the woman placed a paperweight over the documentation.

"That isn't the right question," the vampire removed his hat, removing some unsightly wrinkles, "it's how much of a threat he could become."

"Explain yourself vampire," the blonde did not have the liberty of immortality, time was precious.

"There are two options," Alucard gestured lifting his hand.

"Two?" the woman scowled, "I don't like the lack of options."

"One," the man in red grinned devilishly, "we keep him away from Japan, and allow whatever unholy existence to prevail like an annoying itch that never leaves."

"When you say itch," the blonde lit a cigar and puffed twice, "you're implying that there would _still _be a problem, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes," Alucard answered, "people would probably fall ill and some may die."

"The second option?" the woman rested her head on her hand, struggling to take in the information of how a small boy could be the center of so much trouble.

"Two," the vampire's grin grew wider, "we allow him to go back, with two possible outcomes, cutting of this accursed tumor, or making it spread like a wildfire."

"The second would involve judicious use of violence wouldn't it?" Integra groaned.

"Yes, my Master," the man in red agreed, "so much, that the blood of his enemies shall flood the streets he chooses to walk in."

"Now may I ask how you know all this?" the head of the Organization huffed.

"The _feeling _I've been getting is quite nostalgic," the vampire's grin died down to a neutral expression, "you could say I haven't felt it since I was a man, a man on his last days, to be executed by his enemies."

"You don't mean..." the woman looked down, she hated when the monster would stop wearing the mask of immortality, when Alucard would reveal the tortured existence of a man pushed to the brink.

"Yes, the entity that made me into what I am today," the man's voice boomed in the small office, "that which made me a Nosferatu!"

_-That Evening-_

_The bluenette could hardly get any sleep, it seemed that a rowdy bunch of men have found their way to the mansion. Opening the window, the boy was quite annoyed by the noise, he might as well listen in, it should be fine, he wasn't English after all.  
_

_*Creak*  
_

_The windows were just as old as the library door, well maintained by the staff, but there was a certain charmed to its age, still too noisy for the bluenette in the end.  
_

__"I wonder what they're talking about," the boy thought aloud.

_The boy first heard a man with a French accent, accompanied by the laughter of what could possibly be a battalion. Later, the familiar voice of Sir Integra Hellsing seemed to be chiding the men. Next, a feminine voice, one Minato heard not too long ago, that of Seras Victoria, who was strangely followed by what could only be gunshots of some kind, and grown men seemingly cowering in fear._

_Then...  
_

_**His **voice echoed in that room, the man in red who filled the boy with a fear in the library. The one who wasn't human. And everything fell silent.  
_

"That's weird," Minato sighed as he turned his back on the window to reach the light switch, ready to turn in for the night.

"Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?" the deep voice said unusually near, "And didn't Walter tell you to keep the windows closed a t night?"

"Gah," the boy fell on the floor in shock.

_Alucard was standing outside the bedroom window, with no balcony that could possibly support him, his raven hair flowed in the night sky._

"Get used to it kid," the vampire scolded the youth, "your parents entrusted you to us to keep you safe, but they also knew that what we do would put you at risk, so imagine how much worse it could be had you been anywhere else."

_Shaking at the sight of supernatural power, the boy kept his silence._

"..." the vampire sighed as he removed his glasses and looked the boy in the eyes, "Go to sleep now, child, you have a long Journey ahead of you."

_With some psychic assistance, the bluenette was able to sleep peacefully that night._

_-End Hellsing -  
_


	2. Hellsing II

-The Other Path-

_The idea for this fic was brewing in my head over Xmas break, where I was able to watch all the shows I've had on my list._

_-Everything here is a one-shot or two chapters per storyline at most, unless I receive positive reviews asking me for more where I will make a separate fic for a more fleshed out version.  
_

_-Each chapter will be dedicated to Minato being raised by X person or Y organization, anime or wherever else they came from.  
_

_-The characters that had a hand in raising him won't be directly intervening, flashbacks and maybe cameos because what's important is how they've molded the MC to the person that he is and the way he deals with the events in Gekkoukan and beyond.  
_

_-Chapter title will indicate what entity took him in after the 1999 car crash._

**PRE-CHAPTER AN:** _Italicized: thoughts, _[Japanese], *Sound Effects*

*at a certain point, all text is assumed to be spoken in Japanese, the [] is simply to indicate that there is a language barrier between X and Y character.

-Hellsing II-

_-10 years later-_

_The lad could hardly believe it, almost ten years since the incident that claimed his parents' lives. 'Accident' was one of the words that Minato Arisato learned to throw out of his vocabulary from all his time with Sir Integra, Seras, Pip, and the other Wild Geese._

"Today's the day, huh?" the bluenette mused, looking back at everything that happened.

_He remembered meeting Father Anderson for the first time, his wards Heinkel and Yumi, who his parents apparently found abandoned back in Japan._

_He remembered the attack on the Manor, where Pip died, but the other Geese were saved. The illusion failed to take hold of the boy's mind, he already knew true fear. At that point, Minato ran for the room where the sprinkler system's water supply was maintained and mixed in the leftover holy water that was doused on the mines that Pip and the others had planted outside. He remembered the screams of the incoming vampires as the moisture went through their clothes and burned their skin.  
_

_He remembered the screams and tears of Seras as she craddled Pip's dying frame._

_He remembered when she first drank blood._

_He remembered the screams of Zorin Blitz as she was being torn apart by a real vampire._

_He remembered London in 1999, where he saw hell for the second time._

_He remembered the death of Anderson at the hands of Alucard._

_He remembered Walter's betrayal._

_He remembered the fires, the monsters and the **victory**._

_He remembered the loss._

"I see you're awake already," a familiar French accent rang in the boy's ears, "you better get up, Sir Integra isn't getting any younger y'know."

"Yeah, thanks Pip," the boy managed to say before the familiar face sank back into the shadows.

_With that reminder, Minato Arisato remembered one other thing..._

_...He was going back to Japan today._

_-Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing's Office-_

_The now older and wiser head of the Hellsing Organization was currently engaged in a battle with her sworn enemy...**paperwork**._

"It's been ten years," the blonde sighed, "and the bloody government still isn't done with all these files!"

_*CRASH*_

"Is something wrong Master?" Seras said, arm flowing with the power of darkness raised and poised to attack.

"No, nothing at all Seras," Integra groaned in annoyance, "you remember what today means, right?"

"Today?" the vampire hummed, trying to remember what she was supposed to **remember**.

"What will we ever do with you?" the head of Hellsing chuckled, "He's going back to Japan today."

"R-right," the girl responded, downtrodden at the realization that her little brother of sorts was leaving.

_The little boy that they watched grow up was now leaving their care._

"It's a good thing you're a vampire now," Pip spoke, materializing from Seras' left arm, "otherwise your memory could go even worse."

"Pip!" the vampire comically poked her familiar with her index finger in a rage.

"That's enough you two!" Sir Integra grated her teeth in irritation.

"S-sorry Sir Integra, Sir!" Seras saluted, but not before sneaking one last hit on Pip while he turned his back.

"Woman," the Frenchman groaned, "you'll be the death of me...again."

"Sometimes I think you two are more trouble than you're worth," the bespectacled woman stated, "then I'm reminded of why you're here in the first place."

_The vampire and her familiar left the Organization head to her own devices, the three agreeing to meet up much later._

_-Airport 7:00 P.M.-_

_The Hellsing Organization's private jet was prepared to fly, the Captain of the aircraft was simply waiting for his employer to bid her farewells to his lon passenger._

"You've really grown since then," the Englishwoman patted the boy she considered a son on the head, "it seems just like yesterday that you were just up to my knee."

"I'm gonna miss you too Sir Integra," the bluenette said with a big grin and a tight hug.

"I really can't believe it," Seras tried to hold back her tears, "you're really going away."

"I'm gonna miss you too Sis," Minato said affectionately.

"Don't forget what I taught you alright?" Pip waved his hand in front of the youth like a teacher would a student.

"Yes sir!" the boy answered with practiced with military precision.

"And what did I teach you soldier!?" the Wild Geese's Captain yelled like a drill sergeant.

"If it doesn't fit, don't force it!" the boy said proudly.

"Thattaboy," Pip patted the youth on the shoulder.

_Minato Arisato slowly entered the plane, taking one last look at his second home._

_Pip Bernadotte on the other hand could feel some manner of otherworldly rage focused on him for some reason._

_-Train to Tatsumi Port Island-_

_The flight had taken much out of the boy, he had begun seeing things in green halfway thru the trip, which he was quite sure, wasn't how Japan was supposed to look like.  
_"This train's empty..." the bluenette held his knapsack close, "...and it's too quiet."

_*DING*  
_"Passengers, next stop..." an automated voice rang out, "Tatsumi Port Island."

"So I'm almost there," Minato mumbled to himself, "and not a soul in sight."

_The boy kept his guard up for the remaining duration of the trip, his hand not leaving his knapsack._

_Minato Arisato knew that something was going to happen and soon._

_-Dormitory 12:00-_

_The highschooler noticed that the watch that Sir Integra gave him a few years back for his birthday had ceased working, along with every other electronic device nearby.  
_"That's not possible," the boy focused his vision, "I had the batteries changed last week."

*SCHLICK*

*SLOOSH*

"..." the bluenette paid close attention to the noise, marking the distance to be less than what he had hoped it to be, "the door is just over there, but they're getting much closer."

_Moments later, the boy met a child._

_The child lectured the bluenette on matters of responsibility that he would not take seriously for some time._

_The child vanished after a contract was made, and that was when he met her for the first time, Yukari Takeba, daughter of a Kirijo Group scientist, involvement unknown.  
_

_-Minato's Mindscape-_

_To say that the influence of Pip Bernadotte and the Wild Geese as reasonable male authority figures after Walter's passing would be tantamount to saying that keeping an unpinned grenade two feet away from a person is also a good idea._

_Minato Arisato grew up in the Hellsing Manor with a topnotch British education from the savings that the organization was able to make with the quieter atmosphere post-Millennium._

_He grew up learning fine literature._

_He grew up with a taste for both classic and modern music._

_He also grew up with over two dozen mercenaries teaching him a multitude of things from firing guns, gambling, and how to pick up women._

"I think I'm going to enjoy things here in Japan..." the bluenette thought to himself, "...at least for a little bit, before I start investigating."

-_Reality-_

_A pink clothed brunette descended the staircase with caution, wary of the unexpected guest._

"[Who're you?]" the girl stared at the boy from a safe distance, "[What're you doing here?]"

"It must be that late," the boy thought aloud, "I'm Minato Arisato, I'm the new student that's moving here today."

"[Eh?]" the brunette continued eyeing the boy in confusion.

"Oh," Minato facepalmed himself, "[I forgot that I was already in Japan, my name is Minato Arisato, I'm moving in here starting tonight...or should I say this morning.]"

"[Ah,]" the girl blinked twice, "[sorry about that, I'm Yukari Takeba, and I guess we'll be the same year level in school.]"

"[Is that so?]" the man rubbed his chin playfully, "[I'm looking forward to it then, Takeba-san.]"

"[...]" Yukari's face began to redden slightly, "[um, okay,i-it's r-really late so I should get back to bed.]"

_The girl ran straight back to wherever her room was in the dorm, leaving the bluenette on his own, but not before he spied a gun holstered on the girl's thigh._

_"I guess I'm gonna need a different set of moves here in Japan,"_ the boy thought to himself, "I wonder if I can call Pip from over here..."

"[Is anyone down there?]" a feminine voice projected from the stairwell.

_That was when he met her for the first time in many years, Mitsuru Kirijo, daughter of the Kirijo Group President, involvement unknown but guaranteed.  
_

"[Just me]," the boy joked, "[I'm afraid I may have scared off your friend over there, have I offended her in any way?]"

"[You...]" the woman looked shocked, "[I-I remember you.]"

"..." a scowl took over the boy's face, not directed at the girl, but at the memory he associated with her, "it's been a while hasn't it, Kirijo-san?"

"I suppose so," the redhead couldn't bear to face the boy, "how have you been Arisato-kun?"

"If your father told you about what really happened in London back in '99," the bluenette couldn't bear to look at the redhead, "then you know how I've been."

"You were in that slaughter!?" the Kirijo heiress couldn't begin to imagine the horror of the Millennium invasion, "I-I don't know what to say."

"Then say nothing," Minato said in melancholy, "and do tell your father that I'm going to find out what really happened to my parents."

_The boy did not hate her, in better circumstances, he would have probably been in love with her. Minato repeated this chain of thought as he quietly walked towards his room.  
_

_-First Contact-_

_Minato slept restlessly, his encounters with Mitsuru had always been heated, but never violent. In fact, he admired her dedication to her father, but the boy saw that as an obstacle to the truth, and he learned from little less than a year with Alucard how one must deal with obstacles. It helped that he was awakened from his sleep by the Takeba girl, his mind in a haze that he couldn't make out what she was telling him. Always, the boy brought his knapsack, a keepsake from his time with Hellsing, a gift from Sir Integra herself should the boy ever find himself surrounded by darkness. From what he could gather from his groggy state, Minato realized they were outside the building.  
_

_"How far from the dorm did..." the boy's vision cleared and he took a better look around him, "...no, this is the roof. What the-?"_

_Yukari Takeba was knocked over a considerable distance from the blue-haired boy, but what caught Minato Arisato's attention was the monster that stood or rather, slithered before him. The girl's gun was a foot away from him and his knapsack was ever in his possession._  
"Tch," the boy rolled with the firearm in hand as the shadowy creature struck at him with a tendril, "dammit, this gun has no bullets."

_The creature continued its relentless assault, but stopped after clashing with a sharp metallic pang._

"Confused aren't you?" the bluenette smirked sadistically, "The remnants of the silver cross from the Manchester Cathedral was melted down to form the edge of this blade, what I strike doesn't get back up again."

_"Damn you Alucard for wasting all that ammo," Minato cursed mentally, "if only I was allowed to bring the Casul Type-M, I wouldn't have to risk so much fighting close."_

_Swinging his blade downward, Minato forced a piece of the monster's tendril away. The monster countered with another strike from two tendrils at opposite sides, the boy cut one down but his blade was knocked away by the other one.  
_  
"No," the boy made another roll, not knowing why he still kept the gun in his hand.

_Time suddenly stopped for the bluenette and after a moment of observing his surroundings, saw the small child that he had first met the day he arrived in the dorm._

"The hell is he doing here?" Minato thought aloud.

_The child made a hand gesture in the shape of a gun and pointed in his own head...and pulling the metaphorical trigger._

"So that's what it takes huh?" the high schooler chuckled as time resumed, "No wonder, this wasn't an ordinary gun in the first place."

_Taking the gun to his head, Minato Arisato looked his enemy in its blood red eyes, and he saw fear._

"Persona!" and with a loud bang, all turned to darkness for our sociopathic hero.

_-First Contact: The Aftermath-_

_After some time in the hospital, the bluenette was able to recover from his ordeal against the...**creature **and was cleared to return to the dorm, where he was whisked away to the command center of sorts that was placed beside the room of their bespectacled caretaker._

_...  
_  
"Did it ever occur to you people that in the off-chance that I either didn't have the 'potential' or didn't know how to use that gun, that I would have been sent to the hospital for different reasons!?" the teen roared at his present company.

"It worked out fine in the end, didn't it?" Ikutsuki rebuked.

"While our methods are clearly unorthodox," the redhead tried to pacify the situation, "there was no doubt that you'd know what to do when the time came."

"So I am now a conscript in your little army to fight the forces of darkness," Minato mocked the group, "that your company was somehow involved in bringing here."

"!" the rest of the room's occupants were in shock at this revelation.

"Is this true?" the silverette in the room turned to the chairman.

"I-I can explain this to you kids when I get the proper clearance from the President," the bespectacled man mumbled.

"Dammit," the silverette, identified as Akihiko Sanada, threw a punch that shook the wall, "all this time Mitsuru, and we've been cleaning your company's mess!?"

"Akihiko, it's..." Mitsuru tried to calm the boy down.

"I'll be in my room until I get some answers," Minato announced before descending to his room on the second floor, "or if someone attacks from out of the blue, whichever comes first."

-Tartarus:First Night-

_The group cautiously approached their school grounds, the newer members, Junpei and Minato, surprised that it transformed into the Den of All Evil._

"Everyone," Mitsuru called the group's attention, "this is Tartarus, this is where we'll be spending our time in the Dark Hour."

"M'kay," the bluenette yawned, "so how high up is it?"

"That's the fun part," Akihiko grinned, "the Tower keeps changing its architecture with every visit."

_"Fun?" Minato thought to himself, "This guy has issues."_

"So, uh, senpai," Junpei spoke to Akihiko, "what're we supposed to do in there?"

"Easy," the silverette explained, "kill as many Shadows as you can, we can't completely halt their attacks on the people, but we can minimize the incidents...Isn't that right Mitsuru?"

"Y-yes, it is," the redhead couldn't bear to face her comrades, "for a long time, this was my burden...alone, I had thought that bringing more people in this would make things easier... "

"Easier?" the boxer's eye twitched, "You call what happened to Shinji 'easy'!?"

"He was never supposed to join us!" the Student Council Head countered, "If I recall correctly, you were the one who had him join!"

"...Dammit," Akihiko cursed before taking a vow of silence for a night.

"You don't sound scared at all," Yukari whispered to the bluenette, "care to share the secret to that?"

"I'm actually frightened to my knees," Minato admitted, "but what matters in this life is what you accomplish when you're afraid, I've been more scared before and I came out alright."

"More than this?" the brunette mumbled.

"Yes," the boy answered, "tell me, have you heard about the events of London in '99?"

_-Continuum Shift-_

_...Dark Hour..._

_Minato had always felt a growing darkness around him, since Alucard had vanished, he always thought that it was his sanity ripping itself apart after everything that happened in London. That was not truly the scenario in his case, the raven-haired vampire left a part of his darkness with the boy, perhaps anticipating that sick little Major's plan. In the end, the darkness that was not Minato's began acting against the darkness of the city._

"K-Kenji?" Junpei was surprised as he saw his classmate cowering in the corner of Tartarus.

"J-Junpei?" the brunette was just as surprised, "Where are we man?"

"Can't expl-arggh," the lanky teen was struck from behind by a Gigas type Shadow, his evoker flung in the direction of his friend.

_The Gigas readied itself for another strike, but was stopped in its tracks by blast of ice._

" Per...So...Na," Kenji said in a trance, calling forth a clownish snow man, "Jack Frost!"

"What the-?" was all Junpei could manage before backing his friend up.

_-Strega: The Moonlight Bridge-_

_Many thoughts passed thru Minato's mind when the group faced other Persona users in battle._

_...Killing Junpei for getting duped by Strega..._

_...Killing Strega for interrupting his sleep..._

_...Going to sleep..._

"Why do you work to stop the Fall?" the hippie leader posed a question to the group, "Mankind's wish is for the peace of death."

"Salvation thru destruction?" Minato retorted, "Yes, we're selfish because we want to live and the rest of the world doesn't. We're selfish because we're fighting this when others accept it AND you're selfish for trying to stop us from being selfish ourselves!"

"What!?" Takaya could not understand this one that spoke so _colorfully_ against his ideals, "You're the ones who have the nerve to play heroes."

"All of you are dying, that's why you want the world to end," the bluenette grinned as he noticed his opponents' shocked expression, "life isn't fair you idiots, it has never been, and only you have the power to take what's yours. No one can change that fact, not God, the Devil, or You!"

"How dare you!" the man raised his gun at the teen.

"Minato-kun!" Chihiro reached out for the bluenette, "Watch out!"

"Hmph," the boy didn't even move a muscle as the bullet grazed his MP3 player, "you're in no condition to shoot, but I am."

_Within a few months of his time in Japan, Minato Arisato was able to get word to Hellsing of the strange occurrences in Port Island. In response, Sir Integra had Seras and Pip send the bluenette a custom made Casul, designated as the Casul Type-M MK. II, designed to fight the creatures of the night with consecrated rounds, not as effective as Alucard's weapons, but a firearm that greatly complements the boy's Persona based abilities.  
_  
"Dude," Junpei stood agape, "you serious!?"

"It's us or them, Junpei," Minato said coldly, "but we're going to talk about your part in this much later..."

"*Gulp*" the lanky teen was not in a comfortable place, staring at his _passionate, _gun-toting leader, "he's really into this huh guys?"

"Goodnight," the bluenette pulled the trigger, "or rather, goodbye."

_With a single click, Minato Arisato was prepared to kill his first human, a human who was too weak to live on..._

_...However, destiny had different plans for his adversaries._

"Takaya!" Jin Shirato, Strega's information specialist, cried out as he threw his suitcase in his leader's direction, blocking the otherwise fatal round, "We have to get out of here, now!"

_And in a moment, the two Persona users jumped straight into the sea under the bridge._

"You think they'll be back Kaz?" Yuko asked her fellow athlete.

"They don't seem like the type to just disappear like that..." the jock thought aloud.

"Kazushi is right," the bluenette said with a deep tone, "they will reveal themselves in due time, in the meantime, you guys should head back to the dorm."

_The boy left ahead of the group, nonplussed that they had to see that side of him, the side that was trained to kill monsters._

_-Betrayal-_

_"Ungh, my aching head," Minato groaned, "are we in Tartarus?"_

_Gazing in the are around him, the bluenette was able to sight his companions, bound in chains...just like him._

_"Mitsuru, Akihiko, Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka, Ken, Koromaru..." the boy then shifted his gaze from his right to his left, "Kaz, Yuko, Kenji, Chihiro, Bebe, Hidetoshi, Nozomi..."_

_Only one ally was missing in this capture...  
_"Aigis!" the boy called out in futility, "Quick, get us out of here!"

_The mechanical maiden stared blankly at the group, not responding to their pleas for help_.

"I see you've awoken..." a familiar voice chuckled, "I always knew you were a sharp one..."

"Ikutsuki...You bastard!" Minato screamed at the chairman.

"Now now, there's no need for that kind of language here," the bespectacled man sighed.

"You're the one who's been backing Strega, supplying them with information!" the bluenette threw an accusation.

_At this point, the rest of the group had awakened, none were as shocked to find out the identity of their captor as Mitsuru._  
"Why?" the redhead began to tear up.

"It's what you're grandfather and I, along with some associates, decided to do," the man said with a maddening glee, "Why else would I waste my time with a prima dona and her ragtag bunch of misfits."

"..." Minato was whispering something that caught Ikutsuki's attention.

"Have you finally realized what I'm saying is right, Minato-kun?" the bespectacled man threw the field leader a smile.

"You misheard me," the boy said coldly, "when we were in Yakushima, that was the first time in ten years that I had seen Aigis."

"Yes, that's true," the psychopath hummed in agreement, "but I don't see what that has to do with-"

"I read her manual," Minato said with a sly grin, "I've had her recording you since she joined us."

"It will do you no good because I disabled her override codes," the bespectacled man countered.

"That's fine because I wrote new ones," the bluenette snapped back.

"Whoa, that's like Batman level preparedness dude," Junpei said, impressed.

"Bro, I don't think know is the right time to be impressed," Kenji sighed.

"The Bird of Hermes is my name..." Minato announced.

"...Eating my wings to make me tame," the blonde finished, her eyes returning to their more human look, "everyone, I'm so sorry."

_In accordance to her apology, the mechanical maiden shot the chains that bound the teens._

"This..." Ikutsuki was breaking down.

"Is impossible?" Takeharu Kirijo rubbed the back of his head, "You being a mole...Took me ten years to figure that out."

"And it only took me a couple of months," Minato boasted, "I learned from the Wild Geese and from the most insanely well-prepared defense force in all of England, did you really think you stood a chance?"

_Shuji Ikutsuki was never seen again after that night, the team soon returned to their dormitory, but not without having more questions that needed answers. In light of this, Yuko, Nozomi, and Kenji decided to leave SEES, promising to come back once they've cleared their heads from the betrayal and the first human death that they witnessed in the Dark Hour.  
_

_-Dormitory_

_...3:00 A.M..._

_*KNOCK*_  
"Are you awake, it's me, Mitsuru," the redhead whispered thru the door.

"After you knocking like that?" the boy yawned, "I'm up now."

_The redhead quietly entered the boy's room, and sat on his desk._

"How long have you known...about the chairman?" the girl inquired.

"I didn't really know at first," the bluenette admitted, "but something about him was off to me, so I snuck into Aigis' room, found her maintenance manual and wrote additional override codes, in case Ikutsuki would erase her original ones."

"Thank you..." the girl mumbled, "if you weren't as prepared, my father might have..."

"Yeah, yeah, you love your dad, I get it," Minato groaned, "now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be returning to my dream of skewering ghouls."

"Minato..." the redhead gazed deeply into the boy's eyes.

"Um..." the bluenette dropped his guard at something so unexpected.

_And without planning or conscious thought, Mitsuru Kirijo gave her first kiss to her kouhai._

"Excuse me," Aigis' voice rang along the narrow walls, "I noticed your door was opened and-!"

"Aigis wait!" Minato tried to get out of his bed.

"There is no need," the mechanical maiden said in her original monotone, "I'm sorry for disturbing you two."

_There was an awkward silence that hung over the three students for two weeks._

_-Nyx:Lunar Surface-_

_Minato finally understood the darkness that Alucard left in his passing, the vampire was leaving clues for the boy. Nyx, the entity responsible for the Shadows, the entity responsible for turning Alucard into a vampire, was always at the end of the struggle. It was never in the terms of winning or losing, life or death, it was always going to necessitate a sacrifice._

"This choice," the bluenette gazed at his unearthly surroundings, "to give up my soul or to let mankind drown in its own darkness."

"..." the entity stood by silently, awaiting the boy's answer.

"You're wasting time you know," a voice Minato hadn't heard in ten years echoed in the back of his head, "tic-toc."

"Alucard?" the bluenette tried to look for the Hellsing Organization's vampire.

"I'm not really here, but I can project my thoughts, just like your little friends who are waiting," the voice answered.

"I see..." the direness of the situation came upon the field leader of SEES, "...was it like this for you when you had to choose."

"Not at all," Alucard replied, "in fact, I find your situation less _depressing_ it reeks of hope and _sacrifice_."

"I think..." the bluenette fumbled for words, something he hadn't done since he was a child, "...Sir Integra is going to be angry at us for being late."

"Don't fret," the raven haired vampire's voice boomed once more, "you'll still return much earlier than I will, try to attract as much of master's anger to yourself. Hahahahahaha!"

"I'm off then," Minato replied before walking towards the Shadow that was Nyx herself.

_This was the last time that anyone would ever see Minato Arisato, field leader of SEES and Persona user._

_-Graduation Day: Nighttime-_

_...Port Island General Hospital..._

_The mechanical maiden dutifully stood guard, right beside the bluenette since arriving in the hospital. The others went out to get dinner, some, like Akihiko and Junpei couldn't even think about food and started brooding nearby._

"I suppose it was for the best that they didn't remember until now," the blonde said in melancholy.

"..." the boy could not reply, only hum weakly at Aigis' words.

"Is this all we've worked for in the end?" the mechanical maiden asked sorrowfully.

"Uhh..." Minato struggled to seat himself properly.

"What is it?" Aigis wondered in concern.

"The last...number in my...contact list," the boy heaved, "please call it tomorrow morning, they'll know what to do."

"Understood." the blonde acquiesced, knowing what was to come in the following days and mentally preparing herself for the ordeal to come.

-Hellsing Manor: England-

_...1 week later..._

_The SEES collective along with Takeharu Kirijo, flew all the way to Minato Arisato's second home, to bury their leader and comrade.  
_

"So, this is how it ends for him?" Pip growled and mumbled a French curse word afterwards.

"First, Master..." Seras said sadly, standing beside the Captain, "...and now him, it feels like Hellsing is getting smaller and smaller."

"Seras, we're here for him now," Integra said with no discernible emotion, "Captain Bernadotte, would you be so kind as to greet our guests?"

"Yessir," Pip said snappily before having the Wild Geese form up to greet their guests.

_The memorial service lasted well into the afternoon, with each guest recalling an experience with the late bluenette. After all was said and done, they buried their friend and went on to a quiet evening, at least everyone but the Wild Geese, who decided to honor their fallen comrade by getting so drunk that they'll forget the time and day._

"Alright, Pip, just go," Seras Victoria groaned, "don't get too drunk now, you know how alcohol fogs up my nose."

"I get it, I get it!" the mercenary sighed, "Sometimes, I feel like she has me tied on a leash or something..."

"That guy sure is whipped," Junpei hummed, his hands rubbing in his coat pockets, _"man, is it always this cold here?"_

"True that," Kenji nodded before taking one last look at the grave.

"Hard to believe, right?" Kazushi sneaked up on his classmates, "I mean, yeah, he was crazy, but he was our guy."

"Agreed," Mitsuru walked by, "I don't think any of us will meet anyone more _interesting _in our lives."

"Only way to honor that now," Akihiko leaned on a nearby tree, "is to live better lives and make sure no one else has to fight like this."

_...Meanwhile..._

_The head of Hellsing was in her office, the police girl keeping her company, the lights giving the room an aura of emptiness._

"Excuse me," a feminine voice came from the other side of the door.

"What do you want at this time of night?" Integra's irritated voice answered.

"I have a message from Minato Arisato," with practiced precision, Aigis slowly entered the office, sure that Seras Victoria would shoot if she moved too quickly.

_-Seven Years Later:London-_

_A great deal of time had passed for all parties involved in the fight against the Shadows. The members of SEES were now leading happy lives as a tribute to their fallen. Takeharu cancelled his daughter's engagement and was able to reform his company, weeding out the undesirable elements. Another group, aided indirectly by the boy's actions, in a rural town of Inaba, was able to overcome all of that which troubled them all their lives with each others' help. Today, a blonde figure stood beside a marked grave, for the seventh time in seven years._

"It's seven years to the day," Aigis stated matter-of-factly, "I gave the second note to Sir Integra this morning like you wanted."

_And a darkness crept up on the field around the girl..._

"Sorry to keep you waiting," a familiar voice apologized as the ground around the grave shook, "my mechanical maiden."

"I had hoped you would have agreed to let the others know," the blonde said with her face sullen.

"Not yet," the bluenette reformed his body, "the night is still young, and the moon is far too bright."

"You are speaking in riddles," Aigis accused.

"The time will come Aigis," Minato turned his visible eye to the blonde, a clearly red hue coming from his iris, "but not right now."

"What are you planning?" the blonde stepped back from the boy.

"..." the boy took a step forward, wobbling as he went about, "I, I'm still far too weak."

"Hang on," the girl said, supporting the bluenette with her shoulder.

"It was good that Sir Integra managed to get the soil in place," Minato pointed at some clumps of dirt in his coffin, "I wouldn't have managed otherwise."

"Why are you so adamant about avoiding the others?" the mechanical maiden asked with a deep curiosity.

"I'm too weak after just having turned," the boy admitted, "if I saw them now, I'd be lunging at their necks at a moments notice."

"That is why you left this to me," Aigis' voice had a hint of disappointment.

"Of course not," the bluenette countered, moving closer to the girl and cupping her face gently, "yours was the face I wanted most to see, more than anything or anyone else."

"I-I," the mechanical maiden's face flared up like an apple.

"Shhh," the boy smiled.

_Minato Arisato spent a long, long time with Aigis._

_-End Hellsing II-  
_


	3. X-Men

-Another Path: X-Men-

...2008...

-1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center ,Westchester County, New York-

_A large mansion over a small hill overlooked the area. Many unique individuals would call this place their home and their safe haven while others would call this their prison. However, one of the most unique individuals that resided here possessed abilities without that which identified the people therein._

_"My name is Minato Arisato and I, I don't have an X-gene."_

_The bluenette shifted his gaze to the courtyard where he spied some students playing sports._

_"I've been staying in this mansion since my parents died and in spite of not having the X-gene, I can make Psionic Projections of mythical creatures with their own unique abilities, of course I have my limits as well, I can only use around six and the more varied their abilities, the weaker they are individually."_

_The boy turned his gaze to his alarm clock, noting the time._

_"My folks did some research for Charles Xavier beforehand and struck up a friendship with the man, so without any siblings, they left his name on as my guardian on their will, and with the emergence of these abilities shortly after my arrival in the mansion, I received some gear and training to better control my projections and somehow, I'm an X-man now."_

"Ugghh," a feminine growl projected from underneath the blanket.

_"And that is my girlfriend..." _Minato grinned as he stroked the young woman's hair, "..._Laura Kinney._"

"Wha time ish it?" the brunette mumbled as she rolled under the covers.

_"Better known in some darker circles as X-23..."_ the boy flipped the girl's hair, "...It's 8:30 in the morning."

"*Yawn*" Laura flexed herself awake, "Logan is going to kill me."

_"Also known to some as Wolverine's adopted/biological daughter," _the bluenette gave his girlfriend a small grin, _"it's complicated."_

"I am going to find the old man so he does not catch me here...again," the trained assassin said as she got up from the boy's bed, revealing her barely clothed figure, "We will meet up later okay?"

"Sure," Minato gave a heartwarming smile which the girl returned, "I'll see you after he's done chewing you out."

"Funny," the girl said with a deadpan expression.

"Very," the boy returned the deadpan expression, _"deadpanning is one of the things we have no trouble doing together."_

_Resigning herself to her fate, Laura Kinney put her clothes on and gave one more awkward look at the boy before leaving the room._

"_We can do the things we did last_ night,"the bluenette sighed, _"and we still can't say sappy love story crap...Not that I can complain or anything, I doubt they need saying at this point."_

_Minato gave one last strained grunt as he forced himself off his bed._

"I hate mornings," the boy groaned as he clawed his way towards his shower, _"I wonder how things would have turned out if I stayed in Japan..."_

_Having finally finished showering after 25 minutes, Minato Arisato put on his uniform and headed down for breakfast._

_"Gonna grab me an omelet and some bacon and a muffin and maybe some toast,"_ the bluenette purred at the thought of food before the familiar scent of cheap Canadian cologne filled his nose, "..."

_Knowing what was about to come, the boy looked down the stairway and searched for possible escape routes._

"Don't even think about it, bub," a short yet intimidating figure walked towards the bluenette.

"Logan," Minato feigned surprise, "didn't know you were there, haha."

"If I didn't want you to know I was here, you wouldn't know," Wolverine snorted, "and it ain't what you think."

"Hm?" the bluenette's surprise turned real, "It's not?"

"Chuck wants you in his office," Logan answered.

"Okay, I'll head over to the Prof-" before the boy could run, the deathly gaze of Weapon X stopped him dead on his tracks.

"That thing you thought I was going to talk to you about," the man with an Adamantium laced skeleton rested his hand on the teen, "that comes later."

_James Howlett let the thought sink in before leaving the boy to his own devices._

_-Wolverine's POV-_

_"He's a good kid,"_ the age old mutant thought to himself, "_doesn't mean that I'm making this easy for him._"

_Smiling to himself, Wolverine went to do what he did best at 9 in the morning._

_"Time to get drunk then," Weapon X grinned, "and watch the hockey matches I missed when we went out to deal with the damned Purifiers."_

_-Charles Xavier's Office-_

_Professor Charles Xavier was the foremost authority on Mutants as well as the face for peaceful co-existence between man and mutant. He founded the X-men to show humanity that they meant no harm. Of course, there are some mutants that don't share his ideals, resulting in a great divide between fellow mutants. At the moment, the sagely telepath was far from relaxed, having just read an urgent correspondence._

"You wanted to see me Professor?" the face of one Minato Arisato popped into the office.

"Ah yes, take a seat Minato," the psychic motioned for the chair in front of his desk, "I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked you to come here?"

"Okay, Laura and I didn't know that you guys record ALL the sessions in the Danger Room," the bluenette said defensively, "if we did, we wouldn't have-"

"No, not that," the exasperated Professor rubbed his forehead, "definitely not that."

"Okaaay, then I have no idea why you wanted to see me," the boy sighed in relief.

"Although I am still going to have to reprimand you for _that,_" Xavier added, "I know you two are young, but the Danger Room is hardly an appropriate place for _those_ kinds of..._activities_."

"Next order of business please," Minato tried to hide his reddening face behind his hair.

"Right," the Professor continued as he opened a drawer to withdraw an envelope.

_The boy instantly recognized the logo emblazoned on the long white envelope in Charles Xavier's hands._

"Kirijo..." the boy said impassively.

"Yes, the Kirijo Group," the older man affirmed, "they are offering you a scholarship next year in Japan, Port Island to be exact."

"Then..." Minato's eyes widened at the realization.

"When Logan and I picked you up in that place all those years ago," Charles began, "I had a felling that you'd be drawn back there some day."

"So are you sending me over to investigate?" the bluenette asked.

"That's why I called you in," the Professor looked the youth in the eye as he pointed at the envelope, "this, this is your story, you decide what you want to do, whether you choose to stay or go, we will accept your decision and help you reach your goals. It's your decision to make, not mine."

"..." Minato scowled as he went over the letter's contents.

"I don't expect you to make that decision now," Charles looked towards the window, smiling as he saw the students playing in the courtyard, "I'd be very concerned if you did."

"Thanks Professor," the boy closed the envelops, "I'll sleep over it."

"Yes, and get something to eat," Xavier chuckled, "your mind has been screaming for breakfast for the last five minutes."

"..." the bluenette nodded with a small smirk before leaving the office.

_"..." _the bald man clasped his hands, _"I'm so sorry my boy, this is as far as I can go right now, you must take the next steps on your own."_

- Xavier Institute, Kitchen-

_Minato Arisato began praying to whatever higher power was listening to him at the moment that there would still be food by the time he arrived. Sadly, the bluenette was in a trance and did not notice the brunette that was right in front of him._

"Wha-" the boy realized too late and tripped towards the woman right in front of him.

_He would have knocked the woman down along with hum...If she didn't phase right thru him._

"Hey, are you alright?" Kitty Pryde stretched her hand out to pick the Japanese boy up, "Honestly kid, you should stop daydreaming, what if it was Rockslide or Quire?"

"Sorry about that Miss Pryde," Minato apologized as he accepted her offer, "I just have a lot on my plate right now."

"Right," Shadowcat giggled, "take better care of yourself next time."

_Rubbing the back of his head, the bluenette groaned at the massive headache the fall was giving him._

"I'm gonna need some ice first," the boy thought aloud, "and some food."

"Katya," a voice with a thick Russian accent called out from a nearby room, "oh, uh, Minato."

"Morning Pete," the bluenette waved as he opened the freezer door and procured a bag of ice, "ahhh."

"Ah, yes, morning," Colossus fumbled for words, "I have to go find Kitty now, she needs help with the Danger Ro-, I mean something in the garage."

_Running as quickly as he could to avoid an awkward conversation, Piotr Rasputin grabbed Nightcrawler who was conveniently nearby and Bamfed to wherever he needed to be._

"Oh c'mon," Minato complained at no one in particular, "is there anyone in this giant house that _hasn't _seen the footage?"

_Frustrated, the youth angrily ate his breakfast, before deciding to cool his head with a Danger Room exercise._

-Danger Room-

_Minato Arisato stood alone in an empty room, knowing that most of the staff agreed to erasing the last few days of data stored in the Room for everyone's sake._

"Danger," the youth called out.

"System online," a robotic yet feminine voice answered, "select a course."

"Skrull Invasion," the bluenette said calmly, "level 3."

"Initializing hard light constructs," Danger announced, "course begins in ten seconds."

"Good," the boy sighed, _"I really need to punch something right now."_

_In mere moments, the empty room changed into a ruined city, structures crumbling, people screaming in terror, and an army of green-skinned alien warmongers breathing down on the earth with the intent of taking it as their own._

"In the name of the glorious Skrull Empire," one nearby invader belted out, "surrender or die!"

_"Finally," _Minato rolled his eyes, "let's do this!"

_Looking deep within, a handful of cards appeared inside his mind's eye._

"For Queen Veranke!" more Skrull appeared, the vast numbers abilities that Minato recognized to belong to some heroes and villains.

_"Draw." _

_Flipping the Tarot Card, the bluenette analyzed the contents held within.  
_

_"Fool."_

_Breathing deeply, the orphan shifted his attention to his opponents._

"Orpheus!"

_Without warning, a man-sized marionette with an eerily human face materialized behind the boy. Carrying a lyre, the construct blocked a punch from a Skrull with the power set of the Thing. _

"..."

_With great focus, the boy dodged a stream of energy_ _and forced the Thing-Skrull back by striking it in the legs with a hard-light baton before switching his weapon to a short blade._

"Burn."

_The mechanical marionette obeyed and struck his lyre, sending a blast of flame towards a group of Skrulls, forcing the aliens to break their formation._

_"Draw."_

_Sifting thru the treasury of emotions and experiences, seeking the power sealed within, Minato Arisato reached out and drew another Tarot Card._

_"Chariot."_

_Rolling towards a nearby pile of rubble, the boy quickly recovered and dashed towards the nearest Skrull._

"Ares!"

_Much like the marionette, another figure formed behind the youth, this time, the construct had an air of savage ferocity, a warrior and not an artist. The god of war lunged at the targeted Skrull, piercing it without much effort. The Greek deity proceeded to headbutt another Skrull before swiftly moving for a clean decapitation.  
_

_-10 Minutes Later-_

_The battlefield was strewn with the corpses of Skrull warriors, atop the defeated army was a lone figure, battered and bruised, but victorious for breath, the boy held onto his knees from sheer exhaustion and did not notice someone entering the Danger Room.  
_

"Are you alright?" the soothing voice of Laura asked in concern.

"Yeah," the bluenette replied, a slight wheeze in his words, "I'm okay."

_Approaching Minato, the girl placed her hand on his shoulder._

"Do you want to talk?" X-23 asked as she took a squatting position back-to-back with Minato.

"Uh-huh," the boy nodded.

"Let me start," the mutant sighed, "after leaving your room, Logan found me on my way back to my room."

"Oh," Minato's face reddened, aware what James Howlett wished to discuss with his adopted daughter, "that must have sucked."

"Very much," Laura replied apathetically, "although, he approved of our relationship...After spending half an hour on enumerating the reasons why he shouldn't."

"What was number one?" the boy asked with a revived curiosity, a small smile forming on his face.

"That you were a slacker," X-23 said in monotone.

"..." the bluenette could not reason out why he felt alarmed by this, the feeling was similar to when he and Julian Keller a.k.a. Hellion fought over Laura right after the Purifiers attacked the School.

"Hm?" the girl brushed at the boy's hair before a light slap at his forehead.

"Sorry," Minato apologized for getting lost in thought, "go on."

"I told him that after everything he has gone through for me to have a choice in my own life..." Laura sighed awkwardly, "...I choose you."

"..." dumbstruck, the bluenette savored and feared the moment, _"I feel terrible that she had to say it first."_

_Silence permeated the training grounds for a moment, the battlefield dissipating to reveal the empty room that was originally there. _

"If I had to pick between a socially awkward robot, an incredibly wealthy redheaded heiress, a school idol with daddy issues, an introverted girl with a fear of men, a sports team manager or a technophile," Minato stopped to take a breather, "I'd still pick you."

"That is illogical," the mutant replied in confusion, "I am not one of the choices."

"They way I feel when I'm with you IS illogical, like I'm stronger and weaker at the same time, that I'm brave and terrified, and all the things in-between," the bluenette smiled, "sorry it took me this long to say it."

_-Meanwhile-_

_At the Control Room..._

_Four senior X-men were watching over the Danger Room, making sure that everything is fine and Danger won't go overboard.i_

"Mein Gott," a furry blue swashbuckler said as he hung down from the ceiling, "it's like a movie by Ni...Ni..."

"Nicholas Sparks?" Kitty Pryde clarified for the 'elf'.

"Yes, him," Kurt affirmed, "at the very least, it wasn't like the last time they were here."

"Da," Piotr spoke up with his Russian accent, "I also find it quite disturbing that Minato had a list like that."

"Alright boys, that's enough psychobabble," a gruff voice clapped, "the wagers, gentlemen?"

"Logan, don't tell me you actually bet on this to happen, she's your daughter?" Shadowcat looked like a cross of disgusted and disappointed.

"I ain't telling you then," the Canadian laughed as Nightcrawler and Colossus surrendered the contents of their wallets.

"And you two?" Kitty glared judgmentally at the other two X-men, "I can believe him, but you?"

"..." the silence of the pair spoke volumes.

"We should have said that none of us was allowed to interfere," the Russian whispered, "he knew she would react like this."

"That was going to come back to haunt us eventually," the German nodded.

-_Back to the Danger Room-_

_"We stayed there for half an hour," Minato narrated, "until we decided that we needed some air to let things settle down."_

_Looking at the brunette, the Japanese teen smiled inwardly._

_"I don't know what tomorrow may bring," the bluenette looked to the sky, "but I'm happy with what I have today."_

_-End-_

**_Omake:_**

_Later that evening...  
_

-Minato's Room-

The raven haired girl greedily took the blanket for herself before letting her hair limit the boy's field of vision.

"Okay," the bluenette laughed, "what do you want Laura?"

"Am I that easy to read?" the girl said with surprise.

"No, I just had enough time to learn," the boy replied.

"Very well," the girl whispered into the boy's ear, not noticing the paling of his face.

"Seriously?" Minato gave her a puzzled look.

"Yes, seriously," Laura said with a blank expression.

"..." the Japanese teenager thought deeply for a moment, "fine."

_Taking a deep breath, Minato dove thru the sea of his soul, searching for something, like a needle in a haystack._

"Mara!" the boy called out and a creature beyond the abilities of words to describe emerged.

-_Meanwhile-_

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

_...That night, the psychic screams of a terrifying psychic projection stopped Professor Xavier, Emma Frost, the Stepford Cuckoos and every other telepath in the vicinity from sleeping._


	4. X-Men II

-The Other Path-

_The idea for this fic was brewing in my head over Xmas break, where I was able to watch all the shows I've had on my list._

_-Everything here is a one-shot or two chapters per storyline at most, unless I receive positive reviews asking me for more where I will make a separate fic for a more fleshed out version.  
_

_-Each chapter will be dedicated to Minato being raised by X person or Y organization, anime or wherever else they came from.  
_

_-The characters that had a hand in raising him won't be directly intervening, flashbacks and maybe cameos because what's important is how they've molded the MC to the person that he is and the way he deals with the events in Gekkoukan and beyond.  
_

_-Chapter title will indicate what entity took him in after the 1999 car crash._

**PRE-CHAPTER AN:** _Italicized: thoughts, _[Japanese], *Sound Effects*

-X-Men II-

-Farewells-

_Today, Minato Arisato was leaving the safe confines of the Xavier Institute for the mysterious uncertainty that awaited him in Japan.  
_

"So those were the last of my bags..." the boy mused before turning back to see the faces of the friends he had made in the last few years, "It's been a blast guys."

_The gathered students and faculty of the Institute waved farewell to their quirky friend._

"C'mon kid, Chuck's car ain't cheap on the gas," Logan patted the boy's back (with all the strength of his adamantium-laced bones).

"Ow," the bluenette rubbed his shoulder blade, "you are the worst Canadian I've ever known."

"I'm the only Canadian you've ever known," Wolverine shot back with a smug grin.

_-Airport-_

_What had begun with almost every student in the Institute was now down to two people left._

"This is it, huh?" the boy inquired without turning his head.

"Yes," the raven-haired girl replied without betraying any hint of emotion.

"I-I don't know when I'll be done," Minato hesitated, his body tensing up.

"It's alright," Laura reassured, "it's something you need to do."

"T-thanks," the bluenette relaxed, "I-I wanted to give you something,y'know, to remember me while I'm gone."

"I have a healing factor which rejuvenates my brain cells," X-23 raised an eyebrow, "I **cannot **forget."

"That's not what I meant," the boy chuckled as he handed the girl a package, "here."

_Inside the small container was a small ring of silver that fit snugly on the girl's finger._

"What is this for?" Laura tilted her head.

"Think of it as a promise," Minato gave a radiant smile.

"..." the mutant was taken aback as she recalled what rings are supposed to represent.

"I'll try to get it all settled in a year," the bluenette held the girls' hand in his, "then I'll take the first flight coming back, okay?"

"Alright," Laura hummed with a smile, "then I guess I should give you my gift too, close your eyes."

_With a brief but meaningful kiss goodbye, Minato Arisato left his second home to begin the search for his destiny._

_-Train to Tatsumi Port Island-_

_The flight had taken much out of the boy, after picking up his bags, Minato was instructed to board a train that headed to his destination. The youth had begun seeing things in green halfway thru the trip, which he was quite sure, wasn't how Japan was supposed to look like._

"This train's empty..." the bluenette held his knapsack close, "...and it's too quiet."

_*DING*_

"Attention Passengers, next stop..." an automated voice rang out, "Tatsumi Port Island."

"So I'm almost there," Minato mumbled to himself, "and not a soul in sight."

_The boy kept his guard up for the remaining duration of the trip, his eyes periodically shifting to his periphery._

_Minato Arisato knew that something big was going to happen soon._

_-Dormitory 12:00-_

_The highschooler noticed that the Samsung phone he had purchased just the week before had ceased working, along with every other electronic device nearby._

"That's not possible," the boy focused his vision, "I had a full bar when I left America!"

*SCHLICK*

*SLOOSH*

"..." the bluenette paid close attention to the noise, marking the distance to be less than what he had hoped it to be, "the dormitory is just over there, but whatever is following me is getting much closer."

_Moments after shutting the door, the boy met a curious looking child._

_The child lectured the bluenette on matters of responsibility that he would not take seriously for some time._

_The child vanished after a contract was made, and that was the first time the honorary X-man met Yukari Takeba, the daughter of a Kirijo Group scientist, involvement with his parents' death unknown.  
_

_-Minato's Mindscape-_

_The lasting effects of being raised in an environment where you could make smores using the heat produced by your classmate while said classmate was on fire or having a snowball fight in the middle of summer, courtesy of one Bobby Drake, have given Minato Arisato a high tolerance for whatever strange occurrence came his way.  
_

_However, that did not prepare him for an encounter with a teenaged girl that had a handgun holstered on her leg._

_"This may not end well," the bluenette thought as he raised an eyebrow._

-_Reality-_

_A pink clothed brunette descended the staircase with caution, wary of the unexpected guest._

"[Who're you?]" the girl stared at the boy from a safe distance, "[What're you doing here?]"

"It's pretty late so I get why you're antsy," the boy thought aloud, "I'm Minato Arisato, I'm the new student that's moving here today."

"[Eh?]" the brunette continued eying the boy in confusion.

"Oh," Minato facepalmed himself, "[I forgot, I haven't spoken much Japanese recently, my name is Minato Arisato, I'm moving in here starting tonight...or should I say this morning.]"

"[Ah,]" the girl blinked twice, "[sorry about that, I'm Yukari Takeba, and I guess we'll be the same year level in school.]"

"[Is that so?]" the man rubbed his chin, "[I'm looking forward to it then.]"

"[...]" Yukari began studying the newcomer's face, "[um, okay,i-it's r-really late so I should get back to bed.]"

_The girl ran straight back to wherever her room was in the dorm, leaving the bluenette on his own, but not before he spied a gun holstered on the girl's thigh._

_"I guess I'm gonna need a different set of moves here in Japan,"_ the boy thought to himself, "I wonder if I can call Pip from over here..."

"[Is anyone down there?]" a feminine voice projected from the stairwell.

_That was when he met her for the first time in many years, Mitsuru Kirijo, daughter of the Kirijo Group President, involvement unknown but guaranteed.  
_

"[Just me]," the boy joked, "[I'm afraid I may have scared off your friend over there, have I offended her in any way?]"

"[You...]" the woman looked shocked, "[I-I remember you.]"

"..." a scowl took over the boy's face, not directed at the girl, but at the memory he associated with her, "it's been a while hasn't it, Kirijo-san?"

"I suppose so," the redhead couldn't bear to face the boy, "how have you been Arisato-kun?"

"I've been _well_," the bluenette couldn't bear to look at the redhead, "had a nice thing going for me back in America."

"I see," Mitsuru said with eyes closed, unable to bear the boy's piercing gaze, "sorry for having you dragged out here.""

"I came here of my own free will," Minato retorted, "there's no need to apologize, but I will find out what really happened back then and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

_The boy did not despise the Kirijo heiress, in another set of circumstances, he would have probably have fallen for her. But, Minato remembered Laura and her own struggle with her past as a part of Weapon X and sighed as he carried his bags to his new room.  
_

_-First Contact:One Week Later-_

_Minato was restless in his sleep, his confrontations with Mitsuru had always ended up with frustration for both parties. The redhead was admirable in her loyalty to her father and company, but there was something in the back of the bluenette's head that made him think that the girl was hiding something from him. It helped that he was awakened from his sleep by the Takeba girl, his mind in a dizzy haze that he couldn't comprehend what the pink-clad girl was telling him. Always, the boy wore his gloves and utility belt, the latter housing his hardlight projector, a keepsake from the Xavier Institute, should the boy ever find himself surrounded by those who would harm him for his association with the X-men. From what he could gather from his groggy state, Minato realized that the two students were outside the dormitory building.  
_

_"How far from the dorm did..." the boy's vision cleared and he took a better look around him, "...no, this is the roof. What the-?"_

_Yukari Takeba was knocked over a considerable distance away from the blue-haired boy, but what caught Minato Arisato's attention was the monster that stood or rather, slithered before him. The girl's gun was a few feet away from him and he began motioning for the heavy looking gadget in his belt._

"Tch," the boy rolled towards the firearm as the creature of darkness started focusing on him with a tendril, "dammit, this gun has no bullets."

_The creature continued its relentless assault, but stopped after making contact with a wall-like structure before it._

"Not used to this scenario huh?" the bluenette groaned under the pressure, "Doubt you can understand me, but this thing in my hand let's me project any weapon up to a meter and a half away."

_"This would be so much easier in the Danger Room," Minato cursed mentally, "I don't even know what this bastard can do in a fight."_

_Pulling back from his defensive stance, the bluenette held the projector with both hands and assumed a combat stance not unlike that of a samurai. The monster continued attacking, another strike from two tendrils at opposite sides, the boy cut one down but his blade was knocked away by the other one.  
_  
"No," the boy made another roll, not knowing why he still kept the gun in his hand, "damn, I guess I can throw this useless thing at it."

_Time suddenly stopped for the bluenette and after a moment of observing his surroundings, saw the small child that he had first met the day he arrived in the dorm._

"The hell is he doing here?" Minato thought aloud.

_The child made a hand gesture in the shape of a gun and pointed in his own head...and pulling the metaphorical trigger._

"Is he fucking nuts!?" the high schooler raised an eyebrow as time resumed, "Maybe...this thing isn't really a gun"

_Taking the gun to his head, Minato Arisato looked his enemy in its blood red eyes, and he saw fear, the bluenette mustering his own reserves of courage._

"Persona!" and with a loud bang, one of the boy's more reliable constructs appeared.

_"Orpheus?" _the teen thought to himself, _"Argh, feedback? But, it isn't as heavy as it usually is."_

_In his tenure with the X-Men, Minato Arisato had been trained by the telepaths to endure the pain that came with the summonings, not that it actually stopped the pain of forcibly drawing out fragments of his soul. He always soldiered on, knowing that Laura endured worse pain whenever she popped her claws or recovered from a rather serious beatdown.  
_

_"Alright you sonuvabitch, I have a serious psychic hangover and .PISSED!" _the boy's fury spiked, "Burn him to a crisp!"

_The tragic spirit obeyed and plucked the strings on his lyre, a massive blast of flame shooting towards the Shadow._

_"I've got him on the ropes now," _Minato surmised, "Eat this!"

_With sword in hand, the bluenette followed-up the fireball with a brutal strike from his blade.__ Capitalizing on his momentum, the teen ordered his construct to bash his enemy in the face.  
_

_"Your skill has increased, young one," a booming voice spoke in the boy's head._

_"You can talk?" the sleepy teen stared incredulously at the floating musician._

_"You began developing your abilities much earlier than you should have,"_ the musician explained to the boy, _"the Evoker seems to have focused your ability to a much higher degree that you can converse with those you bring from the Sea of the Soul."_

_"We'll talk later," _Minato concluded before shifting his weapon into a hammer, "Let's end this now!"

_And with a heavy strike, the Shadow was beaten soundly, the green sky fading ever so slightly._

_-First Contact: The Aftermath-_

_After some time in the hospital, brought about by the surge of voices in his head, the bluenette was able to recover from his ordeal against the...**creature **and was cleared to return to the dorm, where he was almost instantly whisked away to the command center of sorts which looked more like a library that was placed beside the quarters of their bespectacled caretaker._

"Did it ever occur to you people that in the off-chance that I didn't know how to fight or didn't know how to use that 'gun', that I would have been sent to the hospital for different reasons!?" the teen roared at his present company.

"You wound up fine in the end, didn't you?" Ikutsuki rebuked.

"While our methods are clearly unorthodox," the redhead tried to pacify the situation, "we had no doubts that you'd know what to do when the time came."

"So I am now a conscript in your little militia to fight the forces of darkness," Minato mocked the group.

"We were all skeptical at first," the silverette in the room, Akihiko Sanada, defended the organization's actions, "but we can make a difference."

"Senpai's right," the girl in pink added, "we're the only ones that can act, the police aren't even conscious when it happens."

"Look Arisato," the redhead intervened, "we may have our own problems, but think about the bigger picture."

"Bigger picture?" the bluenette growled, "My girlfriend is a trained mutant assassin, and her ex-bosses are out for her blood, my friends can shoot fire from their hands and teleport and fly, they're fighting for their lives and the lives of people who want them dead every day! You don't get to talk about the bigger picture especially when you're just covering your tracks!"

"!" Mitsuru was taken aback by this comment.

"What do you mean covering their tracks?" Akihiko shot up from his seat.

"You really think that we'd still be here if Reed Richards, Hank McCoy, Hank Pym, Doctor Doom or any of the world's geniuses knew about this?" the sleepy teen revealed, "an there's no reason for you to keep this a secret unless you're hiding something."

_The members of SEES began contemplating the boy's words, not having any words to spare._

"I'll be in my room until I get some answers then, I suggest you guys do the same," Minato announced before descending to his room on the second floor, "I'll be out if someone attacks from out of the blue again."

-Tartarus:First Night-

_The group cautiously approached their school grounds, the newer members, Junpei and Minato, surprised that it transformed into the Den of All Evil._

"Everyone," Mitsuru called the group's attention, "this is Tartarus, this is where we'll be spending our time in the Dark Hour."

"M'kay," the bluenette yawned, "so how high up is it?"

"That's the fun part," Akihiko grinned, "the Tower keeps changing its architecture with every visit."

_"Fun?" Minato thought to himself, "This guy has serious issues."_

"So, uh, senpai," Junpei spoke to Akihiko, "what're we supposed to do in there?"

"Easy," the silverette explained, "kill as many Shadows as you can, we can't completely halt their attacks on the public, but we can minimize the incidents...Isn't that right Mitsuru?"

"Y-yes, it is," the redhead couldn't bear to face her comrades, "for a long time, this was our burden...Akihiko and myself, I had thought that bringing more people in this would make things easier in the long run. "

"Easier?" the boxer's eye twitched, "You call what happened to Shinji 'easy'!?"

"He was never supposed to join us!" the Student Council Head countered, "If I recall correctly, you were the one who had convinced him to join!"

"...Dammit," Akihiko cursed before taking a vow of silence for a night.

"You don't sound scared at all," Yukari whispered to the bluenette, "are you used to this, y'know, having a mutant girlfriend and all?"

"I'm scared speechless now," Minato admitted with a sigh, "I'm just used to having my friends around to watch my back, I mean, this is my first sortie with you guys."

"So how long have you been together, with your girlfriend?" the brunette asked with an inquisitive look.

"Little over a year," the bluenette smiled, knowing that the girl that stood before him was trying to distract him from the stress of the mission, "but I've been around Mutants since I left Japan, so I'm used to intense stuff like this."

_The rest of that night's mission went on without a hitch, all members returning to the dorm without any serious injuries._

_-Greater Mysteries-_

_...Dark Hour..._

_The Personae's voices raged in the boy's head in the first month of properly awakening his powers. Eventually, the racket died down and Minato could hear himself think. The team was sent to further explore the reaches of Tartarus that day and were quite surprised to see a familiar face.  
_

"K-Kenji?" Junpei was surprised as he saw his classmate cowering in the corner of Tartarus.

"J-Junpei?" the brunette was just as surprised, "Where are we man?"

"Can't explain right now," the lanky teen answered, "we have to get you out of here."

"**No,**" a voice that did not belong to Kenji spoke, the teen's lips mimicking the movements, "**he is here, the one who shall bring it about.**"

_Turning his gaze towards Minato, the brown haired teen backed up as Shadows swarmed him and began melding together into a wizard of sorts._

"**I am a Shadow, the True Self,**" the not-Kenji stated, "**it is by the guidance of the Great Will that ****I shall help you reach your destiny...In the great beyond!**"

"Oh fuck all kinds of duck," the bluenette swore as he and Junpei prepared for battle.

_After a rather unexpected two-on-one fight, the brown-haired teen fell unconscious, forcing his classmates to drag him to safety. The next day, Kenji awoke with no recollection of what had happened in the Dark Hour, only a splitting headache that further observation supports was not the 'potential'._

_-Strega: The Moonlight Bridge-_

_The boy was quite angry that night. Junpei had compromised the team's safety by getting duped by Strega. And now, a hippie was holding the entire team at gunpoint.  
_

"Why do you work to stop the Fall?" the hippie leader posed a question to the group, "Mankind's wish is for the peace of death."

"Salvation thru destruction?" Minato confirmed before spitting out, "I've been thru worse, I've been killed more times than I could count and if there's anything to know about dying is that a good death is earned, anything less is pitiful."

"What!?" Takaya could not understand the logic that drove this youth with the blue hair, "You're the ones who have the nerve to try and play hero while the rest of the people on this island would be more than ready to swallow a bullet."

"Heroes huh? Then let's stop playing," with a grave look in his eyes, the bluenette drove his sword to the ground and began focusing his power, the rattling of chains and other dark things becoming louder, "Thanatos!"

"How dare you!" the man raised his gun at the teen, "I won't let some overconfident _child _ruin my plans."

"Watch out!" Akihiko yelled as he saw Takaya pulling the trigger.

"That was your last chance," the boy said calmly, "my turn."

_With a snap of his fingers, Minato commanded the Persona born of darkness to attack his enemy, Thanatos, a savage looking draconic being, eagerly obliged and began lashing out against the leader of Strega. The rest of the team was preoccupied with a large force of Shadows appearing from behind._

"Dude," Junpei struggled with a few Shadows, "a little help here"

"Gimme a sec," Minato replied calmly as Thanatos pushed the nihilist to a corner, "I want you to remember this Junpei, the team could have died tonight because of you."

"*Gulp*" the lanky teen groaned before pushing his aggressors back and finishing them off with a fireball, "y-yeah, I-I wasn't thinking right."

"Leave the executions to me," the redheaded senpai argued, "deal with the enemy before us first."

"Understood," the bluenette said under his breath, calling off Thanatos and summoning both Orpheus and Apsaras for a Cadenza, "leave the recovery to me."

"Hey!" Akihiko yelled out, "Those two, they're getting away."

_Pointing his finger towards the edge of the bridge, the boxer attempted to make one last Zionga attack aimed at Strega, only to miss by mere inches. Returning his focus to the battle at hand, the senior member was able to finish off three Shadows in quick succession._

"Woah, Akihiko-senpai is the man!" Junpei cheered, having killed off one particularly resilient enemy.

"Don't cheer just yet Stupei!" Takeba berated the lanky teen as she fired an arrow guided by her Wind magic, "They don't seem like the type to just disappear that easily."

"Takeba's right," Minato hummed in agreement before bringing out Melchizidek to attack the closest Shadows, "they'll be back, and we better be prepared for that."

_After half an hour of combat, SEES had managed to defeat the Shadows that pursued them, still, the team was weary and on edge._

_Why and how did the Shadows follow them?_

_What and where were Strega now?_

_-Betrayal-_

_"Ungh, my aching head," Minato groaned, "are we in Tartarus?"_

_Gazing in the are around him, the bluenette was able to sight his companions, bound in chains...just like he was._

_"Mitsuru, Akihiko, Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka, Ken, Koromaru..." the boy began with a headcount.  
_

_Only one ally was missing in this scenario..._

"Aigis!" the boy called out in futility, the blonde standing in front of the group, "Quick, get us out of here!"

_The mechanical maiden stared blankly at the group, not responding to their pleas for help_.

"I see you've awoken..." a familiar voice chuckled, "I always knew you were a sharp one..."

"Ikutsuki...You bastard!" Minato screamed at the chairman.

"Now now, there's no need for such strong language all the way out here," the bespectacled man sighed.

"You're the one who's been backing Strega, supplying them with information!" the bluenette threw an accusation.

_At this point, the rest of the group had awakened, none were as shocked to find out the identity of their captor as Mitsuru._

"Why would you do this, chairman?" the redhead began to tear up.

"It's what you're grandfather and I, along with some trusted associates, set out to do since the very beginning," the man said with a maddening glee, "Why else would I waste my time with a prima dona and her ragtag bunch of misfits."

"Dammit!" Minato swore as he tried to wriggle out of the chains.

"It's no use, those chains are on quite tightly, you have Aigis to thank for that," the bespectacled man threw the field leader a smile.

"You're sick, y'know that!?" Junpei yelled at the bespectacled man, flailing about.

"Aren't we all?" the psychopath hummed in agreement, "With The Fall, none of us would suffer any longer, we would be at peace. No more sickness, no more pain, just the tranquility of death."

"How long have you been pulling our legs?" Akihiko growled.

"Why the very beginning of course," the chairman answered calmly, "without your Evokers, you kids can't possibly stop me. Aigis?"

_The blonde walked mechanically towards the group, raising her now gun-like hands and taking aim.  
_

"Not like this, no..." Yukari struggled even harder.

"Hey Ikutsuki," the bluenette called out, no longer struggling.

"Hmm, what is it Minato?" the bespectacled man wondered calmly.

"Is it possible to summon a Persona without an Evoker?" the boy raised a question.

"Of course not," the former researcher shot down the notion, "the evoker was a means to bring these Personae to our world, certainly we made attempts at alternatives."

"Really now?" the bluenette raised a barely noticeable smile, "Cu Chulainn!"

_Without aid, Minato Arisato called forth the Irish warrior-hero, Cu Chulainn, in his hand, the cursed spear Gae Bolg._

"That's im-" before he could finish his statement, the Persona pierced thru the madman with great speed, reaching the edge of the rooftop.

_From the shadows walked out a familiar face, disheveled and disgruntled, the man with an eyepatch turned towards his psychotic employee._

"Ikutsuki," the man whispered as he cocked his sidearm, "you're fired."

_Shuji Ikutsuki was never seen again after that night, the team soon returned to their dormitory, but not without having more questions that needed answers. And a great deal more mysteries that the team knew they had to solve.  
_

_-Dormitory_

_...3:00 A.M..._

_*KNOCK*_

"Are you awake, it's me, Mitsuru," the redhead whispered thru the door.

"After you knocking like that?" the boy yawned with a tired expression, "Yeah,I'm up now."

_The redhead quietly entered the boy's room, and sat on his desk._

"How long have you been able to do that?" the girl inquired.

"Do what exactly?" the bluenette rubbed his eyes.

"Summon a Persona without an Evoker?" the heiress clarified.

"Since I was eight," Minato replied, "but using the Evoker is marginally less stressful than without it."

"Thank you..." the girl mumbled, "if you weren't so properly trained, my father might have..."

"You worship your dad, I get it," Minato chuckled weakly, "now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be returning to my dream of returning to America, dating my girlfriend and championing mutant rights. Got too reliant on the Evoker since I got here, so I'm gonna need to rest up or I won't make it to school tomorrow."

"Carry on then," the redhead said as she exited the boy's room.

"Excuse me," Aigis' voice rang along the narrow walls, "I noticed your door was opened and came to check in."

"Everything's fine on this end Aigis," Minato tried to get out of his bed, "you okay after the whole override deal?"

"Yes, Ikutsuki-san has left no traces in my code, not even feints nor alterations," the blonde answered.

"Do you remember anything from before then?" the bluenette inquired, "From the accident ten years ago?"

"..." the mechanical maiden could hardly look at the boy, "I am sorry, but I was not given access to that information."

_His questions remaining unanswered, Minato resumed his slumber._

_-Christmas Day-_

_The boy had attempted to contact Laura earlier that day, only to be answered by the gruff voice of Logan telling him that the girl wasn't in the institute at the moment. Crestfallen by this, the bluenette began his journey back to the dormitory._

"That was disappointing," Minato sighed, "better head to bed then."

_Gathering his keys, the sleepy faced youth quietly opened the door to his room._

"What the-?" the boy looked curiously at a rather large box in his room, the card simply greeted him a Merry Christmas.

_Cautiously opening the box, a rather pleasant surprise awaited the Persona user._

"Merry Christmas!" the petite girl said as she jumped out of the box and tackled the bluenette to the floor.

"Laura?" Minato asked with an overjoyed tone, "What're you doing here?"

"Christmas wouldn't be the same without you," the girl answered as she embraced the boy.

_Minato spent a long time with Laura..._

_-Nyx:Lunar Surface-_

_Minato finally understood everything that had been happening. The Apathy Syndrome, Strega, Kirijo and his being drawn back to Port Island. But, the knowledge wouldn't change a single thing now that he had come so close to the end.  
_

"This choice," the bluenette gazed at his unearthly surroundings, "to give up my soul or to let mankind drown in its own darkness."

"..." the entity stood by silently its presence still foreboding, awaiting the boy's answer.

"_Minato, know that whatever happens, we are proud of you._" the sagely voice of Charles Xavier spoke encouragingly.

"_I don't exactly approve of you, but you're a good kid and I know that much._" the intimidating tone of Logan stated.

"_You're a good kid, but stop doing things in the Danger Room._" the irritated Kitty Pryde sighed as Kurt and Piotr slowly walked away.

_Then the boy saw the new friends he had made over the year. The insecure, the orphans, the machine-made human and the young teen smiled._

_...It was a good life..._

_This was the last time that anyone would ever see Minato Arisato, field leader of SEES and Persona user._

_-White Day-_

_Minato went by the schoolyard, noticing the various couples getting together for the romantic holiday. Picking up his phone, Minato began dialing the one phone number he had committed to memory, eyes still affixes on the crowd._

_*Ring*_

_He saw the Archer and the Rival Athlete outside the school gates, having met at a sports meet._

_He witnessed the Slacker heading towards the ill girl he always visited at the hospital._

_He stifled his laughter as he watched the Boxer and the Treasurer, meeting together due to mutual social awkwardness._

_He stood impressed at the Technophile and the Photographer, sharing a cake._

_He looked on curiously as a Small Child and an Older Teen in a beanie walked a Dog, contemplating the lack of women in their lives._

_The boy almost choked, along with many others, as they watched the Heiress and the Vice-President walked about side-by-side without a care in the world._

_The boy did not notice the quiet Blonde who watched him from afar._

_*Ring*_

"Laura," the boy spoke as he heard her breath from the other side of the world, "I'm coming home soon."

_-Graduation Day: Nighttime-_

_...Port Island General Hospital..._

_The mechanical maiden dutifully stood guard, right beside the bluenette since arriving in the hospital. The others went out to get dinner, some, like Akihiko and Junpei couldn't even think about food and started brooding nearby._

_*BEEP*_

"I suppose it was for the best that they didn't remember until now," the blonde said in melancholy.

_*BEEP* *BEEP*_

"..." the boy could not reply, only hum weakly at Aigis' words.

_*BEEP*_

"Is this all we've worked for in the end?" the mechanical maiden asked sorrowfully, "You yourself said you had a life to get back to."

_*BEEP* *BEEP*_

"Uhh..." Minato struggled to seat himself properly.

_*BEEP*_

"What is it?" Aigis wondered in concern.

_*BEEP* *BEEP*_

"This is really the end huh?" the boy laughed thinking of the irony, "This is a terrible way to end a story."

*_Beeping stops_*

_-Xavier Institute-_

_...1 week later..._

_Until the graduation ceremony, the members of SEES had been shocked to learn they had U.S. Visas. They had made plans months ago to visit Minato's friends as the boy always spoke fondly of them...And Junpei wanted to get superpowers. However, they had come to do something different than what they had intended to do._

"..." Charles Xavier looked morose as he saw the container being delicately brought up to the lot, the memorial of their fallen friends.

"I still can't believe it," Scott looked down, unwilling to carry the site of the casket in his memories.

"Laura," Wolverine muttered as he recalled the bitter sight of the girl's bloodied room, "she's keeping it together now...For him."

_-Eulogy-_

_The first to speak were the friends that Minato had made in Japan, considering that they made the trip all the way to America, the faculty, staff, and students made no argument._

"When I first met the guy," Junpei faked a laugh, "I didn't believe the part where he said that he grew up with Mutants. Then he saved my but by letting loose a two-headed attack dog from his mind. I've believed in him ever since."

"He was a good leader whenever we had a fight on our hands," Takeba began her speech, "but he was an even better friend, he always went out of his way to help people he didn't even know, people all the way across town."

"I'm not really that confident in standing in front of a crowd like this," Fuuka admitted, "but Minato-kun was always afraid, everyday, but he always soldiered on, and any less of me would be a stain to his name."

"He was strong," Akihiko said with eyes half closed, "stronger than I could ever hope to be, but he taught me about that strength and where it comes from, and now that I've met you here, I can see where he got his."

"There were trying times in the previous year," Mitsuru took in the sight of those who mourned, "from both our enemies as well as within our team, but Arisato was a better leader than I ever was, and although I am his senior, I hope to be as good a person as he was."

_Aigis could not think of words to say, but her tears conveyed any message she had hoped to deliver._

_After the last rites were given, the case was lowered into the ground along with the brave soul had given his all for the people he had grown to care about._

_-Phoenix War: Aftermath-_

_The destruction of the Phoenix Force at the hands of Hope Summers and Wanda Maximmoff A.K.A. The Scarlet Witch had resulted in a surge of energy that began restoring the mutant population. However, there was something else, something belonging to the forces of Death that the last slivers of the cosmic entity, a being that heralded rebirth sensed before fading away forever and so headed into that direction, the ruins of the Xavier Institute._

_"Awaken, child..." a voice not unlike the deceased Jean Grey beckoned._

_And in a brilliant blaze of cosmic power, a single grave had emptied and its sole occupant gone._

_-Avengers Academy-_

_Laura Kinney had eventually recovered from the loss, but decided that she was not yet ready to be in another relationship so she kept her distance from the dating scene. Now, the clone spent her extra time training in the confines of the Academy._

"Hey Laura," the voice of Finesse, a girl with photographic reflexes called out to the mutant, "someone's here for you, and he's cute."

"Who is it?" X-23 asked as she sliced apart another training dummy.

"It's me," a familiar voice replied, sending chills down the girl's spine.

"How..." Laura could barely finish her sentence as she turned her gaze towards the direction of the voice, the sight of him was enough for her.

"I'm home," a tear fell from the bluenette's visible eye as the girl held him in a tight embrace, "I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm home now."

_-End X-Men-_


End file.
